Psychoanalytic Studies Program

FAQS

Can I take the program on a part-time basis?

Yes.  We recognize that some students may not be able to take the program on a full-time basis, whether because of job conflicts, travel requirements, child rearing necessities, illness, and the like.  Each student, upon being accepted to the PSP, will be assigned an adviser, and the student can then confer with the adviser to develop a workable academic plan. 

Are all the students in the PSP required to be in supervision?

Only the students who are practicing clinicians are expected to be in supervision.  Students whose work is in other fields (academia, administration, journalism, research, etc.) would not be in supervision.  Such students could discuss with their advisors the possibility of having a mentor who could meet with them at a suitable frequency to discuss the application of what they are learning in the program to their own work.Some students who are not clinicians might find it useful to take the Infant/Mother Observation Seminar in the first year to get a sense of the nature of work, like clinical work, that is based on attending to another’s subjective experience.  Observing and reflecting on the process between mother and infant comes quite close to the phenomenology of clinical work.

Are PSP students required to be in psychoanalysis? What resources are available for personal analysis?

Only PSP students who also are accepted into the Institute as candidates are required to be in analysis.  For PSP students, who are not current candidates, who want to be in analysis but need assistance with the fee, the Center will make every effort to help find an analyst who will work with them at a fee they can afford. The Center will make available a listing of analysts who have time available at an adjusted fee. The fee for analysis is determined by analyst and student together.

How much time will the program take each week?

The Tuesday classes will run 4 ¼ hours.  Reading assignments are under 50 pages a week for each course.  If you are taking the two regular courses plus the Freud course, this might mean four to six hours of reading a week.  If you are taking the two courses plus the Infant/Mother Observation Seminar, the reading would be two to four hours, plus two hours to do the observation and write it up.  Supervision would be an additional hour.  Apart from travel time, this means about 9-11 total hours a week.

What happens if I miss some classes because I’m sick or traveling?

Satisfactory completion of a course requires a minimum of 75% attendance at the classes.  If a larger block if time has to be missed, a course might need to be repeated or a suitable alternative educational experience created.  This would be discussed with the advisor.

How do I find a supervisor?

We have provided a panel of about thirty members of the faculty who are able to offer supervision to PSP students for $75 a session.  Supervision is weekly, and one-on-one.  You should discuss the choosing of a supervisor with your advisor, so that you can find a person well suited to work with you and your particular interests.

I am already accepted as a candidate in the Institute.  Can I start doing psychoanalytic work?

If you have been accepted as a candidate, in addition to the standard courses, you can begin to see your first training case, with supervision, assuming that you have already spent a sufficient period of time in your own personal analysis.  During the year an additional ten-week course on beginning an analysis will be provided for the new candidates.